Glorious Greensby Jean EnglishNo surprise: I came home from the Common Ground Country Fair with a cornucopia of gardening ideas; and the lush results that came from taking a little time, space, seed and compost that were displayed at the Fair encouraged me to spend that little bit of extra time this fall to ensure a more prolific garden in all seasons.

Fairgoers Flock to See Chicken Tractorsby Jean EnglishChicken tractors were so well represented at the Common Ground Country Fair that anyone with even a small patch of yard could go home knowing how to raise a couple of laying hens or a small flock of meat birds.

Photo courtesy of Pete Nutile, Photographer, Johnny’s Selected Seeds.

Epazote: The Flavor of Mexico Comes NorthBy Jason Moore
Local farmers’ markets are an excellent source of traditional organic produce, such as sweet corn, peas and tomatoes, but also of regional and ethnic favorites, such as fresh fiddleheads, chicory, okra or chayote. As regional demographics change and new immigrant communities appear, farmers’ markets reflect these changes, and previously unknown Mexican-American foods and spices are now common in farmers’ stalls from Springfield, Massachusetts, to Ellsworth, Maine.

Photo courtesy of David Handley.

Growing Highbush BlueberriesFrom talks by David Handley of Maine Cooperative Extension Service and Jerry Rivard, who cultivates 2,000 blueberry plants in Springvale, Maine, at MOFGA and Cooperative Extension’s 2006 Farmer to Farmer Conference in Bar Harbor.

What Consumers Have to Teach Usby Merry Hall
At a “Word of Mouth” conference convened by Heart of Maine to help local farmers optimize marketing, a 12-person focus group was asked why they buy from local farmers.

I think about the question that John Jemison posed from his Orono office, overlooking the Stillwater River. He’s talking about the ability of companies such as Wal-Mart to exist because our government subsidizes fuel costs for transporting products and consumers to big box stores, and such companies don’t pay for the negative externalities caused by burning fossil fuels. Without such subsidies, “I am sure Wal-Mart could not stay in business,” says Jemison.

Using Ramial Chipped Wood to Improve Fertility in a Fruit Tree Nurseryby Ann Currier
It has been encouraging to see the attention that Ramial Chipped Wood (RCW – chips of deciduous tree branches that are smaller than 7 cm in diameter) is getting in The Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener. In 2004, I received a SARE grant to study the use of RCW in my fruit tree nursery.

Keynote Speakers: 2007 Common Ground Country Fair

Amy LeBlanc

Hannah Pingree

The Importance of Pickles …
Or, Why I Put Up with Teenagers Working in My Greenhouse!by Amy LeBlanc
Pickles and teenagers took center stage on September 21, 2007, when long-time MOFGA farmer Amy LeBlanc of Whitehill Farm in East Wilton delivered her keynote speech at the Common Ground Country Fair.

Mainers Can Get the Toxics Out – of Bodies, Environmentby Hannah Pingree
Hannah Pingree, of North Haven, is the Majority Leader of the Maine House of Representatives. A second-generation MOFGA member (her mom, Chellie, organized MOFGA's apprenticeship program), Pingree is a leader on issues dealing with toxic materials in the environment. She was the prime sponsor of this year's successful legislation to phase out the brominated flame retardant "deca." Pingree is one of 13 Maine citizens tested for toxic materials in their bodies by the Alliance for a Clean and Healthy Maine. In her keynote speech at the 2007 Common Ground Country Fair, she talked about the study and changes needed to get toxic chemicals out of the environment and out of our food system.

Local Food from Local Fisheriesby Ted Ames
On Sunday, September 23, at MOFGA’s Common Ground Country Fair, Ted Ames discussed parallels between organic farming and community-based fisheries in his keynote address to fairgoers. Ames is helping to recreate community-based fisheries, starting with programs directed at lobster and cod, at the Penobscot East Resource Center in Stonington, Maine.

Sharon Tisher. English photo.

COMMON GROUND COUNTRY FAIR TEACH-INBody of Evidence: Toxics in Maine PeopleThe first step in eliminating toxic chemicals from our bodies is knowing what’s there, and that was the goal of the “Body of Evidence” study conducted in 2007 by the Alliance for a Clean and Healthy Maine. Study participants discussed results of the study at a MOFGA Public Policy Committee Teach-In at the Common Ground Country Fair.

COLUMNS

English photo

Harvest Kitchen:Alliumsby Roberta Bailey
With softball-sized onions you have to put half of it in the fridge, then remember that it’s there. At last count there were three partial onions in my fridge; but who can really complain about onions that are too big? We should all have such problems. And if you do, here are some recipes that use at least one large onion or lots of garlic or a leek or two.

Organic Strawberry Productionby Eric Sideman, Ph.D.As with any crop, producing strawberries organically entails a systems approach to the whole farm rather than just substituting approved organic materials for synthetic materials.New Poultry Processing Co-op Licensedby Diane SchiveraCooperative Poultry Processors, COOPP, became a licensed, Maine State-Inspected poultry processing facility on October 15, 2007, and it plans to be certified-organic by MOFGA Certification Services LLC for the 2008 season.

The Long Road to Local School Lunchesby Melissa White PillsburyThe reason school food service programs don’t offer more fresh, appealing, tasty meals to children may shock you: The programs are not funded by school districts.

Guest Editorial by Alison LePage: Eating Maine – Lessons and Rewards of an All-Maine Diet
If you asked me five years ago where my food came from, I probably couldn't even tell you what state it was grown in, much less the actual farm that produced it. But when my husband and I left "big city living" and moved to Maine in 2002, something changed in the way I looked at food. I realized that every plant and animal had a story and I wanted to know what it was.

Russell Libby: An Organic MaineWhat is it? What would it look like?
I think about these questions often as I travel around the state. For every major issue that confronts us, there are approaches that tie us more deeply to the existing economic system, one that is in many ways at the root of the problems. There are also possibilities that would give us both more independence and a deeper sense of community.

REVIEWSClicking on the link takes you to this issue's Reviews & Resources page, where you can read reviews of the following:
Not Far from the Tree by John BunkerFarmer Pirates & Dancing Cows by Lynn R. MillerRodale’s Vegetable Garden Problem Solver by Fern Marshall BradleyThe Weather Resilient Garden: A defensive approach to planning and landscaping by Charles W. G. Smith

Blue Ribbon USA: Prizewinning Recipes from State and County Fairs by John Margolies and Georgia Orcutt
Featured Recipe: Adam Tomash’s New York Style Half-Sour Pickles

Books for the HolidaysA Mystic Garden – Working with Soil, Attending to Soul by Gunilla NorrisSacred Land – Intuitive Gardening for Personal, Political & Environmental Change by Clea DanaanHere if You Need Me, A True Story by Kate BraestrupThe Complete Book of Small-Batch Preserving by Ellie Topp and Margaret Howard

RESOURCESClicking on the link takes you to this issue's Reviews & Resources page, where you can read about the following:
- Cooperative Development
- IPM for Household Pests
- Certificate of Specialization in Organic Agriculture